Budding Strength
by puppyxrules
Summary: Sawada Tsunayoshi died at the tender age of 35, relatively old by mafia standards. He expected a peaceful transition to the afterlife. What he did not expect was to see his alternate female self. And apparently she can see him too. Fem!Tsuna. AU.


**Prologue 1**

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Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or plot from KHR.

The next few chapters will focus on Nana but will transition into Tsunayuri's early childhood very soon.

Parings are undecided but I will take your opinions under consideration

Warnings: family drama, character death

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In retrospect, Fujiyama Nana lived an uneventful life in Tokyo. She was born to two loving parents and had a doting older brother. They lived in a three bedroom, two bathroom apartment with a small balcony for the rows of clay flower pots under the orange sun. They were a close-knit family that would peacefully resolve conflicts and unconditionally encouraged each other.

Her father, Fujiyama Akito, was a hard-working man with strong morals. His lively nature and bright personality made him a great friend and an even greater father. As a child, he wanted to be a freelance writer. He always enjoyed creating life out of words and sentences. When he became a father, he wanted stability for his children. His dream no longer was no longer about his enjoyment, but his children's happiness. Fujiyama Akito was the last man you would expect to work at an office in a cubicle, but his call as a father was much more than himself. Fujiyama Akito was happy. He always smiled.

On the other hand, Nana's mother, Fujiyama Miyuki, was a loving housewife. She supported her husband's decisions and was a part of his happiness. She was what you would call a "Yamato Nadeshiko," a perfect woman with a gentle heart. She was a graceful mother that valued familial ties. Many women aspired to be a mother like her. Kind yet strict. Reserved yet open. She taught both her children how to cook and do chores. The family quickly found that Nana had an affinity for cooking and would always create mouth-watering recipes.

Nana's parents created a beautiful bond. Akito's cheerfulness and Miyuki's traditions kept each accountable. Akito would encourage the family to try new things and Miyuki would remind them not to go too far.

Nana aspired to be like her older brother. Fujiyama Ichirou was six years older than Nana. To Nana, he was smart and mature and like most older brothers he would tease her. All. the. time. But at the end of the day, when Nana was scared of a dog or when she was laughed at by her peers, her brother would be the one that protected her. As an older brother, Ichirou would mess Nana's hair, but as family, Ichirou unconditionally loved her.

Fujiyama Nana was not smart, athletic, or popular. She did not have many friends and was easily tricked. She was not perfect, but she wasn't expected to be.

Her life was average. But she was happy.

When Nana was 8, just entering 3rd grade, there was a severe depression and the Fujiyamas were not spared. Nana's father lost his job. Life at Tokyo was no longer an option and the Fujiyamas moved to the quiet town of Namimori. Everything fell apart.

The transition from city to suburb was rough. The buildings were too short. The alleys too wide. The town too small. The move strained family relationships.

There was tension in the once normal, once happy family. Her parents no longer gazed upon each other with love and adoration but contempt and hate. Dinners were no longer filled warm unions but cold separation. Namimori was not home because family was no longer home.

Nana's brother, Ichirou, protected Nana from the toxic fumes their parents would emit with each argument. He would distract Nana with games before she could notice that their mother no longer made dinner for their father. He would cover her eyes and ears during their parents' many arguments. He would take her to the park, away from the house, when their father started calling them a mistake. Because of her brother, Nana grew up without witnessing their family falling apart.

"We are happy. Our family is together," Ichirou would always tell her, trying to convince himself.

Her brother protected his sister's innocence and happiness. He was fourteen. She truly believed that her family would be able to make Namimori their home, together.

Nana was worried about her brother. She knew something was wrong. Ichirou was not as cheerful as he once was. He lost weight. He had dark eye bags. Most importantly, his smile had dimmed.

"Nii-chan, what's wrong?" Nana would ask.

And with a well rehearsed response, Ichirou would smile that fake, tired smile saying "Nii-chan is fine."

And always, with a spark of determined resolve in his eyes would promise.

 _"I'll always protect you, Nana."_

He said this for two years.

Nana knew her brother was hiding something. Her mother no longer called her name with that motherly touch, praising Nana for doing extra chores. Her father no longer came home with a loud cheer, asking his family how the day has been. With each passing day, her brother would seem more down.

Nana did the only thing she knew how. She announced on a crisp morning, before her parents left for work, that she would make a fancy dinner for the family in the evening. With a bright smile, full of a child's innocence, she declared that she would be looking forward to eating together with a home cooked meal.

Her mother and father were hit with a sense of guilt. Here was their daughter. Their daughter who had done no wrong, trying to mend the family. The parents thought of better times. Times before arguments replaced encouragement and care.

The mother and the father for the first time in two years made direct eye-contact. They agreed they would cease the confrontations. Just for tonight. They would sit at the dinner table as a family.

Ichirou, sixteen, was shocked with disbelief. He did not think his family would ever begin to mend the familial ties they once held. He turned to Nana with tears running down his face.

"You fixed this. You're cooking saved us."

Nana, confused, only awkwardly smiled and gave her big brother a hug.

She started preparing dinner when her father came home. She finished the side dishes when her mother came home.

 _'Ichi-nii is usually home by now. I wonder why he is late today.'_

She was adding the final seasoning when the doorbell rang.

At the door was Hibari Ryuu and his thirteen-year-old son Hibari Yuuya. Hibari Ryuu introduced himself as the chief police officer of Namimori. He explained with depressed regret that there was a yazuka fight he was unable to contain. While his father was explaining, Yuuya started crying silent tears.

Ichirou was caught in between a fight of territory among the yazuka and was shot to death while he was rushing to get home. He was protecting Yuuya.

 _'What?'_

 _'But we were going to have dinner.'_

 _'All of us...together.'_

What happened after that was a blur. Nana remembered hearing apologies. She remember yelling. It sounded like her parents She vaguely wondered if the screams occurred before or after the Hibaris left. They were trying place blame on someone. Who? the Hibaris? Each other? Me?

But it didn't matter. Her precious older brother died.

' _I shouldn't have suggested it. I shouldn't have should have dinner together. I shouldn't have interfered. Then Ichi-nii wouldn't have rushed home. He would still be alive,'_

'You fixed this. You're cooking saved us.'

' _But Ichi-nii was happy. He was happy that I was cooking. Cooking made him happy.'_

After the funeral, her parents were at their breaking point. They blamed each other for Ichirou's death. It was Akito's fault. He lost his job. It was Miyuki's fault. She didn't teach Ichirou enough restraint. Arguments only got worse and Ichirou was no longer there to protect Nana.

' _It's my fault.'_

The only time they kept quiet was when Nana cooked meals for the family. They all knew how much Ichirou loved family dinners and stayed quiet out of respect for him.

' _The only thing I can do is cook,'_

After a year, Fujiyama Akito and Fujiyama Miyuki decided on a divorce. Neither parent wanted Nana. Both perceived her as a mistake. Both didn't want a reminder. Neither Akito nor Miyuki had relatives that would be willing to take Nana in. She became an unwanted child.

' _I can't protect anything,'_

Nana was adopted by Hibari Ryuu.

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I am probably going to spend two more chapters on Nana before I get into the childhood arc of Tsunayuri's life. My purpose for this is that I want to set a premise of why Nana acts the way she does. I hope that you guys enjoy and will continue to enjoy my take on Nana.

~Puppyxrules


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